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Cardinal Rocks UNLV, 10-1

Stanford, Calif. - The Stanford softball team posted a decisive win in its fourth game of the Palm Springs Classic today, pounding No. 18/21 UNLV, 10-1, in five innings. With the win, the Cardinal improves to 14-0, continuing its best start in school history.

Offensively, junior shortstop Maddy Coon led the Cardinal with two hits, a homerun and three RBI. Freshman Melisa Koutz also had a strong showing in the game, reaching on all three plate appearances and notching two hits. Pitcher Becky McCullough picked up her first win of the year for Stanford, as the senior relieved Becky McCullough midway through the third inning and shutout the Rebels from there.

Stanford jumped on the Rebels right away, scoring two runs in the top of the first inning. Senior Tricia Aggabao walked to start things off, and, with two outs, Michelle Smith belted a double to left center to bring her around from first. Smith scored two batters later, when sophomore Shannon Koplitz cracked the second multiple-base hit of the inning to left center field.

In the second inning, the Cardinal came back with even more ferocious offense, taking advantage of three hits, two walks and three UNLV errors to score six runs. Catcher Rosey Neill led off with a double down the left field line, and freshman Autumn Albers replaced her as a pinch runner at second base. Albers scored on a fielding error by the Rebel second baseman, and a UNLV throwing error on the very next play put two runners on for Stanford. With two outs and runners at second and third, Penna, pinch running for Erin Howe, beat out the throw to the plate on an infield grounder hit by Tricia Aggabao. Anna Beardman scored on a single to right field by Coon, and UNLV's third error of the inning loaded the bases for Koutz. Koutz cracked a two-RBI single to center field, and the first walk of the inning loaded the bases. On her time up of the inning, Rosey Neill drew a bases-loaded walk to score Stanford's eighth run and put the team in run-rule territory.

In the third inning, Coon, who had a ball caught at the wall in her first at-bat, sent one over in her third trip to the plate. Aggabao doubled to put a runner on, and Coon belted her second homerun of the weekend over the left field fence to put Stanford at a 10-0 advantage.

In the third inning, UNLV finally put a runner across. Jaci Hull hit her second single of the game, reached second on a ground out and scored on a single up the middle by designated player Rosa Ordaz.

Stanford returns to the field at 12:30 p.m. for its second game of today's double-header. The Cardinal will take on No. 18/21 Ohio State, its third ranked opponent of this weekend's Palm Springs Classic.